Tuesday, 1 April 2014

Converting to LED lights: everything you need to know http://www.energy-broker.co.uk/converting-to-led-lights-everything-you-need-to-know/

I’m 100% LED now – even my fridge light is LED. You don’t need to go that far – I’m a little obsessed! It has taken me a couple of years of learning to get it right.

The most important lesson has been light ‘temperature’. This is measured in Kelvin (you’ll find it on the packet of any light bulb). I like a warm white, much like the old-fashioned tungsten bulbs. This is about 2700 Kelvin (K).

It’s interesting that folks from colder climates tend to favour a warm light, while folks from hotter climates prefer something more white or blue. Now I understand the colour I like, I generally get the right bulb each time.

One of the reasons I switched to LED is that I have solar panels on my roof, which contribute to the electricity demand of my house during the day. However after I bought a real-time energy meter I quickly learned that I was using a crazy amount of electricity at night – when my panels don’t help. With a bit of investigation I realised my lighting was drawing a lot of electricity. But my electricity bill for my three-bedroom house is now £7 a month, and upgrading my lighting played a big role in that. Even if you don’t have solar panels, lighting uses a lot of power. The good news is, it’s one of the easiest things to change.